Bill of Particulars

Bill of Particulars

A written statement used in both civil and criminal actions that is submitted by a plaintiff or a prosecutor at the request of a defendant, giving the defendant detailed information concerning the claims or charges made against him or her.

In civil actions a bill of particulars is a written demand for the specifics of why an action at law was brought. Although usually requested by a defendant, it can be demanded by a plaintiff if the defendant makes a counterclaim for a setoff or asserts a defense against him or her. A bill can be submitted either voluntarily or pursuant to a court order for compliance with the demand. Its function is to give the party who requests it knowledge of what the opposing party has alleged in order to protect the party requesting the bill from surprise and in order to establish the real issues of the action. It also serves to expedite the orderly progress of judicial proceedings by reducing, if not eliminating, the need for the amendment of ambiguous or vague pleadings. A bill of particulars is neither a Pleading nor proof of the facts it states, but, rather, an elucidation of a pleading. It is not to be used as a discovery device to learn the evidence or strategy to be used at trial by the opposing party.

State codes of Civil Procedure impose rules that govern the use of bills of particulars in civil actions brought in state court. In federal courts the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure have replaced the use of a bill of particulars with a motion for a more definite statement. If, however, the information sought by such a motion is obtainable by use of discovery mechanisms, the motion will be denied.

In Criminal Law, a bill of particulars serves the same purpose. It is submitted by the prosecution to the defendant, at the defendant's demand, to provide the facts alleged in the complaint or the indictment that related to the commission of the crime. The defendant is given notice of the offenses with which he or she is charged so that a defense may be prepared and the possibility of surprise or Double Jeopardy avoided. As in civil procedure, a bill of particulars is not intended to serve as a discovery device.

State codes of Criminal Procedure and the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure regulate the use of bills of particulars in criminal prosecutions in their respective courts.

bill of particulars

n. a written itemization of claims which a defendant in a law suit can demand of the plaintiff to find out what are the details of the claims. Thus, a general claim that defendant owes plaintiff $50,000 for goods delivered or damaged must be broken down so the defendant can understand and defend. In criminal cases it can give an accused person notice of the factual bases for the charges.

BILL OF PARTICULARS, practice. A detailed informal statement of a plaintiff
is cause of action, or of the defendants's set-off.
2. In all actions in which the plaintiff declares generally, without
specifying his cause of action, a judge upon application will order him to
give the defendant a bill of the particulars, and in the meantime stay,
proceedings. 3 John. R. 248. And when the defendant gives notice or pleads a
set-off, he will be required to give a bill of the particulars of his set-
off, on failure of which he will be precluded from giving any evidence in
support of it at the trial. The object in both cases is to prevent surprise
and procure a fair trial. 1 Phil. Ev. 152; 3 Stark Ev. 1055. The bill of
particulars is an account of the items of the demand, and states in what
manner they arose. Mete. & Perk. Dig. h. t. For forms, see Lee's Dict. of
Pr., Particulars of demand.

93) In an order dated February 21, 2007, the supreme court directed the plaintiff to provide the defendant with, among other things, the supplemental bill of particulars required by the preliminary conference order.

11, 2015, her counsel admitted upon questioning by Honorable Presiding Justice Amparo Cabotaje-Tang that accused Reyes did not file a Motion for Bill of Particulars," read the prosecution's opposition to the motion of Reyes who sought to cancel the October 27 pre-trial.

The court held, inter alia, that the defendants' motion to dismiss the second cause of action, and, in effect, to strike the allegations in the bill of particulars corresponding to that cause of action.

Before responding to a pleading, a party may move for a more definite statement or for a bill of particulars of any matter which is not averred with sufficient definiteness or particularity to enable him properly to prepare his responsive pleading.

Nord and Brathwaite submitted, inter alia, an attorney's affirmation; copies of the summons and complaint and amended complaint; defendants' answers and amended answers; plaintiffs' bill of particulars and supplemental bill of particulars as to each defendant; medical records from Strong Memorial Hospital and Stony Brook Hospital; office records of Dr.

Reyes said Tang clearly showed bias when it applied the Supreme Court decision on Enrile's bill of particulars that found Enrile's plunder information valid, in finding Reyes' plunder charge valid as well, but did not apply the same decision when it prohibited Reyes from benefiting in Enrile's bill of particulars.

April, the bill of particulars alleged, inter alia, that he failed to timely and properly recognize the significance of, determine the etiology of, and act upon the plaintiff's complaints of nausea, weight loss, and vomiting; failed to timely refer her to a neurologist; failed to timely and properly formulated an appropriate differential diagnosis; misdiagnosed the plaintiff's true condition; failed to timely and properly order appropriate blood testing, CT scans, MRIs, and x-rays; performed transpalatal sinus repair surgery in a negligent manner; negligently severed a nerve in the plaintiff's palate; failed to timely diagnose the presence of a cerebrospinal fluid leak; and failed to render appropriate preoperative, operative and postoperative care and treatment.

As an alternative to the outright dismissal of her case, Quisumbing asked the court's Second Division to require the Ombudsman to submit a bill of particulars specifying the details of the criminal charges against her.

Since under the Plunder Law an accused can be suspended under valid information, Mendoza insisted that the information remains in question and intends to raise the validity of the plunder charge against Enrile before the Supreme Court where they will question the finding of probable cause and the denial of the bill of particulars.

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